Ethical considerations in social work research

Figures & data

Table 1. The SFNO framework.

Stakeholders	Who has a stake in the decision – who will be significantly affected by the decision made?
Facts	What factual issues might generate disagreement? What facts are relevant to a solution?
Norms	What ethical principles, norms, or values are at stake? Which are relevant and which might appear to conflict or generate disagreement?
Options	What actions or policies deserve serious consideration? If the ethical ideal is not possible, what compromise solutions are most attractive?

Table 2. The Action-Decision model.

Necessity	Is it necessary to infringe on the values or norms under consideration in order to complete the research?
Effectiveness	Will the methodology be effective in achieving the research goal?
Proportionality	Is the desired goal important enough to justify overriding another principle or value?
Least infringement	Is the methodology designed to minimise the infringement of the principle or value that conflicts with it?
Proper process	Has the decision been made with transparency, community input, proper approvals?